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Case Reports
. 2022 Aug 25;83(3):e95-e99.
doi: 10.1055/a-1858-7628. eCollection 2022 Jul.

5-Aminolevulinic Acid-A Biomarker for Worse Prognosis in IDH-Wildtype II Tumors? Evolution of a Fluorescence-Positive Diffuse Astrocytoma: A Case Report

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Case Reports

5-Aminolevulinic Acid-A Biomarker for Worse Prognosis in IDH-Wildtype II Tumors? Evolution of a Fluorescence-Positive Diffuse Astrocytoma: A Case Report

Jose E Valerio et al. J Neurol Surg Rep. .

Abstract

Introduction In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) as an intraoperative optical imaging agent in patients with suspected high-grade gliomas (HGGs). However, the application of 5-ALA for low-grade gliomas is still less accepted. Astrocytoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant tumors are diffuse infiltrating astrocytic tumors where there is no identifiable border between the tumor and normal brain tissue, even though the borders may appear relatively well-marginated on imaging. Generally, it is considered that 5-ALA cannot pass through a normal blood-brain barrier (BBB). Thus, 5-ALA fluorescence may mean disruption of BBB in grade II glioma. Case Report A 74-year-old male patient was diagnosed with a right parietal lesion suggestive of a low-grade brain tumor in a surgical resection using 5-ALA, which led to the detection of tiny fluorescence spots during the surgery. The frozen section was consistent with diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-wildtype (World Health Organization [WHO] grade II). The patient's postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed complete resection. Eight months after surgery, he began experiencing symptoms again and was admitted with a brain MRI finding consistent with recurrent infiltrating astrocytomas. This required reoperation of the brain tumor resection with 5-ALA. Unlike the first surgery, they observed a high fluorescence intensity; the pathological finding was glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype (WHO grade IV). Postsurgical brain MRI showed total resection of the tumor. The patient was discharged 4 weeks after surgery and continued with specialized clinical follow-up. Conclusion The use of 5-ALA continues to be a great contributor to the improvement in complete resection of primary brain tumors, especially HGG. Besides, fluorescence is increasingly approaching its use as a prognostic tool for aggressive clinical course, regardless of the initial grade of the tumor. This case report is an effort to expand knowledge for potentially using 5-ALA to help prognosticate brain tumors. Nevertheless, more clinical prospective studies must be conducted.

Keywords: 5-ALA; brain tumor; diffuse astrocytoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Evolution of first surgical intervention. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Right mid-parietal gray matter lesion related to a low-grade glioma. ( A ) Coronal T2; ( B ) axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery; ( C ) sagittal T2; ( D ) diffusion tensor imaging); intraoperative images. Correlation between the different moments of the surgery ( E ), white light; ( F ) 5-aminolevulinic acid fluorescence in blue light. Postoperative MRI: complete resection of the tumor, ( G ) coronal T1; ( H ) coronal T2; ( I ) axial T1; and ( J ), sagittal T1). Brain tumor pathology: increased cellularity and increased cytologic atypia, histiocytic reaction and chronic inflammation, ki-67 positive, 3 + , nuclear on 5% of cells; ( K ) diffuse astrocytoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase - wildtype, World Health Organization grade II.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Evolution of second surgical intervention. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Finding consistent with recurrent infiltrating astrocytoma ( A ) coronal T2; ( B ) axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery; ( C ) sagittal T1 gadolinium; ( D ) diffusion tensor imaging, three-dimensional axial and sagittal. Intraoperative images. Correlation between the different moments of the surgery ( E ) white light; ( F ), 5-aminolevulinic acid fluorescence with blue light. Postoperative MRI: complete resection of the tumor ( G ) coronal T2; ( H ) axial T2; ( I ) sagittal T1; ( J ) axial; Brain tumor pathology: areas of necrosis, diffuse infiltrative pattern, ki-67 positive, 3 + , in 3% of tumor cells. ( K ) Glioblastoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase-wildtype, World Health Organization grade IV).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Timeline of the clinical case. IDH, isocitrate dehydrogenase; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.

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